Weekly Takes - Monday, May 16 Edition

Weekly Takes - Monday, May 16 Edition

1. My three stars from the Maple Leafs thrilling game five win over the Lightning on Tuesday…

1. Auston Matthews

2. William Nylander

3. John Tavares

If the Leafs win this series, it is not going to be game six or seven that this core will be remembered for. It will be this game.

Matthews and Marner needed to have a “legacy” game and they connected on the biggest Leafs goal of this generation. Tavares, meanwhile, had a “vintage” Tavares play with his pass to Nylander for his biggest play as a Maple Leaf.

And speaking of Nylander, he was fantastic after taking an early penalty. Matthews and Marner got going late in the second but I thought Nylander was the first of the “core four” to get going.

It all would have been for naught though if not for Jack Campbell, who was brilliant. He had the ultimate bounce-back game.

With that being said, this all goes for nothing if they do not win a fourth game. They have to. A thrilling game five win cannot be the peak of this core. Win the series and end the curse. Anything else is an absolute failure.

2. My three stars from the Leafs crushing overtime loss to the Lightning on Thursday…

1. Tavares

2. David Kampf

3. Matthews

A devastating loss. They played well start to finish and were 20 minutes away from ending the curse, only for two awful calls to lead to overtime. They played well in the overtime but couldn’t get it done. It is really that simple.

It is a horrific loss in terms of the result but they played well. For the first time ever, I believe this core can get it done.

Now they have to play a game seven to prove it.

3. My three stars from the Leafs heartbreaking game seven loss…

1. Marner

2. Tavares

3. Matthews

Listen. If you told me prior to the season, the playoffs, or even game six, that the Leafs would flame out and lose in round one, I would be calling for a coaching change, a change in the general manager’s position, and a change to the core. I would have thought that they collapsed when it mattered the most.

But they did not, so I cannot. This team played the best seven-game stretch I have ever seen them play, despite facing the back-to-back Cup champions looking to cement themselves as a dynasty.

They deserved to win and I am more confident than ever that they will win.

They need to run it back. Show up next season with the same management staff, coaching staff, and core in place, finish as high as possible to have the most favourable matchup possible, and try again next spring.

This loss is not like any of the other losses. This is an elite team that lost to another elite team.

4. With that being said, changes still need to be made. Here is my ideal lineup for the team next season…

Forwards…

Michael Bunting - Matthews - Marner

Vacant - Tavares - Nylander

Pierre Engvall - David Kampf - Vacant

Nick Roberston - Colin Blackwell - Ondrej Kase

Extras: Jason Spezza, Joey Anderson, and Wayne Simmonds

Defence…

Morgan Rielly - Timothy Lilijegren

Jake Muzzin - T.J. Brodie

Mark Giordano - Rasmus Sandin

Extras: Justin Holl

Goaltending…

Campbell

Vacant

So, the same core, yes, but changes. Tavares and Nylander did not play well together during the season but they showed that when it truly matters, they can complement the top duo of Matthews and Marner. Kyle Dubas needs to find someone who can play with those two.

On the third line, Kase could play there in a heartbeat but pencilling him into a top-nine role given his injury history is not wise. Find someone to form a great shutdown line with Engvall and Kampf.

The fourth line looks stacked, but that is a good thing, because for far too long this season the fourth line was a total non-factor.

I would let Ilya Mikheyev (zero playoff goals with a goalie in the net in 19 career playoff games) walk, while I would look at trading Alex Kerfoot. He is a good player on a good contract but he makes too much for the Leafs and is not an answer on the second line. Re-signing Blackwell is important.

Defensively, the second pairing proved to be a great shutdown pair, with Muzzin completely turning his season, and thus, his career, around.

Giordano can once again be a top-four defenceman playing on the third pair, this time alongside Sandin, who I expect to take a major jump next season.

Rielly-Lilijegren can be the offensive pairing, with Holl, who is more than fine, as the depth D.

The Ilya Lyubushkin experiment was worth the try but I would move on.

In net, Dubas needs to find a taker for Petr Mrazek and needs to be replaced with a quality backup.

The pressure is on. This team has now shown they can play with anyone in the playoffs. They have done everything but win a series. They now have to win a series next year. Have to. Matthews and Nylander has two years left, and Marner and Tavares have three. Tavares, Muzzin, and Giordano are not getting any younger.

Win.

6. My report cards for each player, equating for both the regular season and playoffs…

• Dubas B+

• Keefe B

• Bunting: A+

• Matthews A+

• Marner A+

• Mikheyev B

• Tavares A

• Nylander A

• Engvall B+

• Kampf B+

• Kerfoot - B+

• Blackwell B

• Kase B

• Spezza C

• Simmonds D

• Clifford D-

• Rielly A-

• Lyubushkin C

• Muzzin B-

• Brodie A

• Giordano A

• Lilijegren B+

• Sandin B

• Holl C-

• Campbell B-

• Mrazek F-

• Kallgren C-

7. My second round playoff predictions, after going 6-2 in round one…

• Lightning beat Panthers in seven

• Canes beat Rangers in six

• Avs beat Blues in six

• Flames beat Oilers in six

8. Count me in as someone who did not see the Mavericks as a legit title contender, let alone a team that was capable of mopping the floor with a one-seed in a game seven.

9. With that being said, I will have to continue to doubt them. We are heading towards a Warriors-Celtics NBA Finals, folks.